HIDDEN LOVE

*Chapter 1: The New House* Avery Morgan stared at the huge house in front of her. It didn't feel like home. It felt too big, too quiet, too perfect. "You're going to love it here," her mom said, holding her hand tight. "Richard is a good man." Avery nodded, but her eyes went to the second floor window. Someone was watching them. A guy, tall, with dark hair and a cold look on his face. That had to be Jaxon Cole. Her new stepbrother. At dinner, no one talked much. Richard tried to make jokes. Avery's mom laughed too hard. Jaxon didn't say a word. He just stared at his plate, then at Avery. "So you're the new sister," he said finally. His voice was low. "Step-sister," Avery corrected quietly. Jaxon smirked. "Right. Step-sister." Later that night, Avery was trying to unpack when there was a knock on her door. It was him. "You can't put your stuff in the hallway," he said. "I didn't," she said. "You did. My hallway." Avery felt her cheeks turn red. She had never argued with a boy before. She didn't know how. "I... I'm sorry. I'm new to all this." Jaxon looked at her for a long second. Something in his face changed. Her voice was soft. Innocent. She wasn't like the girls he knew in California. For the first time, he felt bad for being rude. "Whatever," he muttered and walked away. But outside her door, he stopped. His heart was beating too fast. He had fallen first. And he already knew — this was going to be a problem. Because she was innocent. She was new to love. And now she lived under the same roof. And he was already wanting what he was never supposed to want. --- --- Avery woke up to loud music. It was 7am on a Saturday. She walked downstairs in her pajamas, her hair still messy from sleep. Jaxon was in the kitchen, shirtless, making coffee. "You woke me up," she said softly. Jaxon turned around. He didn't expect to see her like that. Innocent face, sleepy eyes, oversized t-shirt that fell to her knees. He quickly looked away. "Walls are thin. Deal with it." "Can you please turn it down? My mom has a headache." "Your mom?" Jaxon laughed. "This is my house. My dad built this house. You two just moved in." Avery felt tears coming. She wasn't used to boys being mean. Back home, everyone was nice to her. She had never even had a boyfriend. "Why are you so mean to me? I didn't do anything to you." That made Jaxon stop. She looked so small. So hurt. He sighed and lowered the music. "Fine. Better?" Avery nodded. "Thank you." For the rest of the day, Jaxon couldn't get her voice out of his head. That soft, innocent voice. He had fallen for her on the first day, and it was getting worse. He told himself: She is your step-sister. Don't do it. Don't fall. But it was too late. * Jaxon had a rule. Don't fall for any girl. Girls at his college were complicated. They played games. Avery didn't play games. She was honest. If she was happy, she smiled. If she was sad, everyone knew. One afternoon, Richard and Avery's mom went out for dinner. That left Jaxon and Avery alone in the big house. Avery was in the living room trying to do her college application essay. She was stuck. "I don't know what to write," she said. Jaxon sat on the other couch, trying not to look at her. "What is the topic?" "What is love?" Jaxon laughed. "You are asking me?" "You're older. You've had girlfriends." He looked at her then. Really looked. "Love is when you can't stop thinking about someone even when you know you shouldn't." Avery wrote it down. "That's good." "Is it for a boy?" Jaxon asked. He felt jealous and he hated that feeling. "No. I never had a boyfriend. I don't know anything about love." Her innocence hit him hard. She was 19 and had never been kissed properly. He could tell. That night, Jaxon couldn't sleep. He kept hearing her voice. "I don't know anything about love." He had fallen first. Completely. And she had no idea. * At college, Jaxon was known as the cold guy. No girl could get close. At home, he was different. He started waiting for Avery to come home from her classes. One rainy day, Avery came home soaking wet. Her bus had broken down. "You're wet," Jaxon said at the door. "I know," she shivered. He went and got a towel from his own room and put it around her shoulders. His hands touched her shoulders for one second and he pulled away fast. "Thank you," Avery whispered. She looked up at him with big eyes. In that moment, Jaxon realized how innocent she was. She didn't see the danger. She didn't know that a boy like him could want her this much. He stepped back. "Go change. You'll get sick." "Why are you being nice today?" "I'm not nice. Go." Avery ran upstairs. Jaxon stood in the hallway, his fists closed. He wanted to protect her innocence, not use it. Even though his heart wanted more, he knew he had to be the one to keep the line between them. Because if he crossed it, there was no going back. The family had dinner together on Sunday. It was awkward. Richard said, "Jaxon, you should show Avery around campus. You both go to the same university now." Jaxon choked on his water. "What?" Avery looked excited. "Really? You would?" "I have classes," Jaxon said quickly. "Perfect. So does Avery. You can take the same car," Avery's mom said. The next morning, Avery was waiting in his car. She wore a white dress and looked like she didn't belong in his dark, messy car. "You don't have to talk to me at school," she said quietly as he drove. "I know it's weird. Step-sister and all." "It's not that," Jaxon said. "Then what is it?" He stopped the car at a red light and looked at her. "It's forbidden, Avery. Don't you get it? You're my step-sister now. People will talk. Our parents will freak out." "Forbidden?" she repeated. She had never thought of it like that. "Yeah. What I feel for you... what I think I feel... it's not allowed." Avery's heart beat fast. What he felt for her? Did that mean he liked her too? She didn't answer. She didn't know what love was, but she knew her heart was beating only for him now. That night, there was a storm. The power went out. Avery was scared of the dark. She had been since she was little. She heard a knock. Jaxon came in with a flashlight. "You okay?" he asked. "I'm scared," she admitted. He sat on the floor next to her bed, keeping a safe distance. "I'm here. The power will come back." They sat in the dark together. The flashlight made shadows on the wall. "Jaxon?" Avery whispered. "Can I ask you something?" "Yeah." "If it's forbidden... why does it feel like this is where I'm supposed to be?" Jaxon closed his eyes. This innocent girl, new to love, was asking him the question he had been asking himself for weeks. "Because you fell too," he said softly. "I think I did," she said. "I think I fell for my step-brother." Outside, the rain was loud. Inside, under the same roof, two hearts were beating too fast, knowing they wanted something they could never have. But maybe, just maybe, forbidden love was worth the risk. --- *